Shubhabrata Dutta
With time, horror movies have gotten more and more humane. Today, it’s as much about the human psyche and its processes as it is about supernatural elements. One of the primary angles of horror that explores the human psyche is home invasion horror movies. Keeping that in mind, we bring you some such movies available on Amazon Prime that explore the genre in different and scary ways.
7. Home Invasion (2012)
Doug Campbell’s ‘Home Invasion’ is about a home invasion gone wrong, both for the infiltrated and the infiltrator. When a robber breaks into Nicole’s (Lisa Sheridan) house, she shoots him dead in self-defense. Soon, the guy’s girlfriend, Jade (Haylie Duff), enters Nicole’s life and befriends her at a crime victim support group, bent on exacting vengeance in all ways possible. As the plot proceeds, we see how Jade commits crimes and pins them on Nicole while tormenting her family life. Whether Nicole finds a way to prove Jade as the criminal mastermind is what we find out in the drama. A low-budget undertaking, ‘Home Invasion’ checks out as an addition to this list due to the performances and, to an extent, the execution. The movie can be streamed here.
6. Hideout (2021)
Directed by Kris Roselli, the film follows four thieves, namely Reed (Chris Wolf), Kyle (Brian Enright), Sarah (Katie Lyons), and Marshall (Mark A Baum), who are fleeing from a botched robbery and take shelter in a small farmhouse. In the house, they come across an old lady named Bee (Janice LeFlam), who seems to have a strange dark aura about her. She then introduces them to her granddaughter Rose (Audrey Kovar), who has an even darker presence and claims to have psychic abilities. While it seems fake at first, although Rose’s poker face works like a charm, mysterious events soon start to occur, making it clear that not everything Rose claims is a lie. Eventually, the gang realizes that in search of a place to hide, they end up somewhere dark and sinister. You can watch the movie here.
5. Motherly (2021)
Directed by Craig Wallace, ‘Motherly’ is anything but that. It follows Kate (Lora Burke) and her 9-year-old daughter Beth (Tessa Kozma), who live in seclusion. Kate’s husband/Beth’s father, Brad, has killed himself in prison, where he was sent for the murder of Beth’s friend Courtenay. But when Courtenay’s mother, Mary (Kristen MacCulloch), and father, Lewis (Nick Smyth), invade their house, questioning them, it seems that the truth is something else. Then, Kate and Beth do something terrible that proves who the real culprit is. A home invasion with a twist, ‘Motherly,’ can be watched here.
4. Mother’s Day (2012)
Directed by Darren Lynn Bousman, this film is about a psychotic mother and her three psychotic sons who return to their former house looking for money. The issue is that the house has new owners and their guests. The sons have just robbed a bank and are on the run when they arrive at the house, only to discover their other has lost it. They inform her about it while holding the guests hostage. Then, the mother comes and takes the charge. Since mother knows best, anyone trying to act smart will face terrible consequences. Is money even a factor here, or is it all just a game? ‘Mother’s Day’ stars Rebecca De Mornay, Briana Evigan, Jaime King, Frank Grillo, Deborah Ann Woll, Shawn Ashmore and Warren Kole. You can watch the movie here.
3. For the Sake of Vicious (2020)
The same home is invaded twice in the Reese Eveneshen-Gabriel Carrer directorial. At first, we have an overworked nurse, Romina (Lora Burke), who returns home to find out that her landlord has been beaten to a pulp by an intruder, Chris (Nick Smyth). Then, we have a wave of masked goons who break in. This sets off a blitz propelled by bullets and bloodbaths, with the goons on one side and Romina, Chris, and the landlord on the other, personal fights kept aside for the time being. A recipient of 2.5 stars out of 4 by RogerEbert.com, ‘For the Sake of Vicious’ is a must-watch. You can stream it here.
2. Villains (2019)
Mind-bogglingly twisted and dark, ‘Villains’ is a gratifying mix of blood and humor, to pull off which is rare. However, directors Dan Berk and Robert Olsen have successfully done it. We have home intruders Mickey and Jules, who break into the house of a lovely couple, George and Gloria, who are soon revealed to be aren’t as lovely as they appear. What begins as a conversation between the two parties about a secret hidden in the basement soon takes the shape of a bloody game. Mickey and Jules are made to realize that they have been taken hostage inside the very home they broke into. Starring Bill Skarsgård, Maika Monroe, Kyra Sedgwick, and Jeffrey Donovan, ‘Villains’ is a must-watch for those who take pleasure in not knowing what’s next. It can be streamed here.
1. Sleep Tight (2011)
‘Sleep Tight’ (‘Mientras duermes’ in Spanish) is a psychological thriller that centers on a sadistic apartment concierge named César who enjoys making those around him miserable. When he finds his way inside an attractive lady’s apartment, his methods are revealed to us (messing with the woman’s body products and planting bug eggs, etc.) and make it clear that he is a psychopath. How he tries to get the smile on her face and tries to get away with it is what follows. Meanwhile, a teenage girl knows of his movements and makes her demands in return for keeping her mouth shut. Will César ever stop? You can watch this gripping Jaume Balagueró directorial right here to find out.
Read More: Best Abduction Movies on Amazon Prime
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